Pneumatic tread for boots and shoes.



E. MADDOGKS.

PNEUMATIC TPVEAD FOR BOOTS AND SHOE.

APPLIUATION FILED NOV. 24. 1909v 1,011,460, PzitentedDealZlQll.

UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE,

nDwAnn mADDoexs, or ronoNTo, ONTARIO, eANADA, AssieNon or ONE-HALF, T .r mns mcNArn'or roRoNrro, cANADA.

IPNEUMA'IIC. TREAD FOR Boo'rs AND snons.

To all whom itinay concern: A Be it known that L'EDWARD 'MADDOCKS, ofthe city of Toronto, in the county of ork, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPneumatic Treads for Boots and Shoes, of which the following is the specification.

Myflinvention relates to improvements in pneumati'crtreads for boots andshoes and I the like-and theobject of the invention is t evise; a simple, cheap, durable and iiy repaired pneumatic cushion tread lieable to both sole and heel, which will ,al minimum the strain and jar on 3O and sole portions.

i th}; ireducing'the tiring'efi'ect and making a or the i or the-'foot'hnd leg when walking or running,

ke particularly adaptable u'se F'for runners, professional walkers and athletic contests. Y Y

'Myinvention consists of a tread envelop, an "airtube inclosed in the same and provided witha valve stem, which extends through'the laced side of the envelop, the parts being-otherwise constructed and arran ed. in detail as hereinafter more particu arly explained.

Figure 1, is aview of a shoe provided with my pneumatic tread both -on the heel Fig. 2, is a plan view looking from the bottom of the shoe and partially broken away to exhibit the formation of the envelop and the air tube. Fig. 3, is a longitudinal section through the shoe.

Fig. 4, is a detail of the form of envelop form ng the cushion tread of the soleof the shoe or boot as it would appear before being secured in position. Fig. 5, is a view of the- 40 envelop forming the cushion tread for theheel before it is secured in position. Fig. 6, is a perspective detail ofthe leather heel bed A In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in eachfigure. My invention is adapted to a shoe, but it will, of course, be understood that it may be adapted with equal facility to boots and the heel? portions of artificial legsgand for like uses.

. A is the upper of the shoe. B is the ordinary sole thereof formed preferably of leather and 'C is the heel portion of the sole.

, Specification of Letters Patent. I Application flled'November 24, 1909. Serial No. 529,73

.the air tube in the position shown.

Patented Dec. 12,1911.

to fit the envelop and the sole of the shoe.

One end E of the loop is designed to come under the ball of the foot atthe outside and the-intermediate projection E under,

the ball of the foot at the inside, and the opposite end E of-the loop under the toes. The air tube E is held in position by a plate It preferably of leather, see Figs. 9 and 3. This plate may be of any desired thickness, but such thickness must be sullieientto hold The tube E is provided with a tubular nipple E, which extends from a position underneath the shank and is provided with a suitable air valve E". whereby the air tube may be or cushioning elt'ei-t.

The envelop D is secured in position by means of an outer envelop G, which is at-- inflated. so as to give the desiredresiliency the outer edge and across the shank. The outer envelop is' provided with a mouth underneath the shank through which the air valve extends, the opposing-edge of such month being securetl' togctl1cr by lacing G H is the upper portion of the envelop H and -H is the lower portion, which is crimped or formed up at the sides. so as to extend upwardly and is provided with a projecting edge l-Iiwhereby it is connected by a row of stitching H. to the attaching edge H of the upper portion H."

The tube-I is somewhat in the form of a ring and is inserted throu h the front of the envelop, the attaching e ges of which are afterward secured together by lacing H". A tubular nipple I is provided, which is connected to the tube and is provided with anair valve I2:- The tube'may be of ring form in which case it is'prased together The tube E before insertion is of tached by stitel'iing G to the sole around indicated in Figs. 1 and 3.

is provided and the envelop H'is secured in; position by theenvelop-J, the edges of which" are attached by lacing J- extendlng through the edge of the heel portion of the sole-as K is a 'leather heel bed preferably in the form somewhat of a horse shoe and beveled inwardly. The heel bed K serves to form a comfortable rest for the heel, which'would otherwise rest upon a rounded or-convex surface caused by the inflation of the tube'I, It will. of course, beunderstood that the means-pf attaching my pneumatic cushion tread-to the sole may be varied from that shown inthe drawings and other changes may also be anade in detail of my cushion tread without departing from the spirit of my invention. For instance, my heel cushion may be adapted to the heel portion of an artificial leg, which would, of course, have to be so formed at the bottonrof the heel in order to receive the cushion. tread, which would be suitably secured in place. lVhat I claim as my invention is- 1. In a pneumatic tread for boots and shoes, the combination with the sole portion of the shoe, of an air tube formed in the shape of a loop and adapted to lie flat in relation to the sole, one end of the loop ex; tending underneath the toeand the other being turned, so as to-form somewhat the shape of an L with the back end of the loop under the ball portion of the shoe at the outer side'and a bend inthe loop under the ball portion at. the opposite side and an envelop inclosingthe tube and holding it in shape, and an encompassing envelop inclosing the. aforesaid. envelop provided with an attaching edge secured by stitching around the edge of the sole of the shoe and across the shank as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a pneumatic head for boots and shoes, the combination with the sole portion of the shoe, of an air tube, an envelop 1nclosing the same and a plate of leather suitably 1 formed and holding it in shape, an outer en- 1 compassing envelop inclosing the aforesaid envelop provided with an attaching edge se- 'ofthe shoe.

cured by. stitching :a'r oundthe" edge-fifths sole of the-shoeand across the shiiiilras and for the purpose specified: The combination with the sole of a shoe and hcel portion thereof, of an envelop .comprisin a top portion adapted to, fit underneath t e heelqportion and a. bottom portion rounded or crimpedup' into pouch-like shape and suitablyattachcd tothe upper portion, a tube in flat; ring form held in the envelop'and provided with'a suitable tube and an air valve-adapted to extend underneath the shank o'fthe shoe, an outer envelop inclosing said first named envelop, and lacing securing said outer envelop to the sole 4. The combin ation' in the center and located "underneath the 4 'th the sole or bottom of the shoe, of a neumatic tube of ring-- like form so arrange as to leave an opening sole,- an enc'ompassin envelop in which the I pneumatic tube'is inc osed comprising a flat plate of leather and an outer covering extending inwardly aroundthe outside edge of the tubeand provided with an outwardly extending attaching edge or flange pro'ecting around the outer edge of the same w ich outer covering covers both the tube and the opening in the center, and suitable means for connecting such attaching edge to the bottomof the shoe as a'ndjor the purpose 5. The-combination-with the sole'or bottom of the shoe, of.a.pneuma tic tube located underneath the sole,- an'encompassing envelop in which the pneumatic tube-is inclosed provided-with an outwardly 'eXtend-' ing attaching edge-or flange projecting around the outer edge: of the same, a reinforcing bed ofhorse shoe. 'Shape'locat'ed at so as to receive the heel bone andforming a support for the edge of the 'so1e,'and means for fastening the heel bed and encompassing envelop, one to the upper side and the other to the under side of the bottom of the shoe the 'inside' ofthe shoe and beveled inwardly 

